


predilection;

by nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)



Series: me sobbing about critical role [99]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Crushes, Drabble, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, Gay, Gen, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romantic Fluff, blood mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 12:24:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife
Summary: pre·di·lec·tion/ˌpredlˈekSH(ə)n,ˌprēdlˈekSH(ə)n/nouna preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.





	predilection;

#####  **a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.**

They’re walking down the streets of Asarius and Beau can feel the stares prickling on the back of her neck. It makes the hair on her arms stand on end, and her muscles tense, the knowledge that she’s a liability. She wants to whirl around, confront the people watching her, but she can’t. One wrong move, and they’re thrown in jail. Discovered, labeled as spies, executed, if they’re lucky. She takes a deep breath. Doesn’t think anything of the huffing growls and heavy footsteps she hears, because it’s just part of the clamor, here. 

Then it gets louder, and she registers a large, scarred gnoll, heading toward the group. Not just the group- her. 

“Hey, you! Human!” he growl-shouts, and has he steps forward, Beau feels a small, calloused hand slip into her own. 

She looks to her side and sees Nott smile at her, quick and nervous, and then the gnoll is hunched in front of them. He’s easily three times Nott’s size, a foot taller than her at _least_ , and his snout has numerous scars criss crossing it. 

She hates to admit it, but she’s a little intimidated. 

Before she can say anything, Nott says something in goblin, staring the gnoll directly in his eyes. The gnoll snorts, and says something back. Beau can’t tell if he’s more or less pissed off than he was a minute ago. He kneels down, and gets in Nott’s face, and Beau is seconds away from punching him in the face, when there’s a yelp of pain. 

Nott’s pulling her hand back towards her body and there are four fresh, bleeding, wounds on the gnoll’s snout. 

He snarls fiercely, but as he gets to his feet, there’s something that’s nearly respect flickering in his eyes. 

More people are staring now, but not Beau. Nott seems to shrink under the attention, and tugs Beau forward, towards the group, who are standing a few feet away. In the ensuing chaos, Beau doesn’t get a chance to ask what Nott said to the gnoll, and it fades to the back of her mind. 

-

They’re in Rosohna. Heroes of the Dynasty. _Homeowners_ , which is somehow more improbable. 

It’s just Beau and Nott, on a shopping trip to pick up some paints for Jester and food that isn’t tofu or stale pocket bacon. 

As they pass an upscale looking restaurant, a drow in the doorway sends them a dirty look. For _what_ , Beau has no idea, but she glares back at them, and then sticks out her tongue. The look on their face makes her snort. 

They continue on without issue, but the interaction sparks a question Beau’s been meaning to ask. 

“Hey Nott?”

“Yeah?” she responds, fiddling with a copper wire. 

“Back in Asarius, before, _all this_ , what did you say to that gnoll?”

“W- what?” she says, but Nott’s a terrible liar and has started twisting the wire even faster. 

“Back in Asarius, that gnoll that came up to us- you told him something then scratched his face? You never told me what you said to get him to leave.”

Nott picks at her sleeves. “Oh. Oh, yeah, uh, that gnoll. Right. Well,” Nott ducks her head, and shoves her hands in her pockets, “Well, it wasn’t really, anything- impressive, really,” she hedges. 

Beau raises an eyebrow. 

“You made a gnoll three times your size back the fuck off, I’d say that’s fuckin’ impressive.”

Nott mumbles her response so badly Beau almost misses it- almost. 

“ _I told him you were mine and that if he didn’t leave you alone I’d maul him_ ,” she says, in a single rushed breath. 

Beau can feel her cheeks warming as she processes the implications of that. 

“Oh,” is all she says.

“Um,” Nott says. 

Beau isn’t sure who moves first, but then they’re holding hands, and Beau moves a little closer. 


End file.
